#ElzaGonzález

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Review : I Care A Lot (2021)

Here we go again, discussing whether or not a Netflix original film can stand up to the same level of judgement that your standard box office fare does.  This week’s contestant looks like it may have what it takes to stand up to the scrutiny, which is definitely a good sign for Netflix as a production house and tastemaker.  The film is question is the J Blakeson film I Care a Lot, which looks like another winner for leading lady Rosamund Pike.

Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike) is a slick talking opportunist who makes a living by taking over the guardianship of elderly people and draining them of their finances and valuables.  With the help of her assistant Fran (Eiza González), Dr. Karen Amos (Alicia Witt), Judge Lomax (Isaiah Whitlock Jr.) and a handful of others, Marla pulls the trigger on what feels like the whale of all whales : an elderly woman named Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Wiest) who seemingly has no immediate family and plenty of wealth tied to her name.  Unbeknownst to Marla, however, her actions raise the ire of Roman Lunyov (Peter Dinklage), a ruthless gangster with an endless network of resources and a burning desire to have his property returned to him.  Lunyov and his associates apply pressure to Marla, but the resulting plays for power turn out much more difficult than either side intended or imagined.

On the page, the exploitation of the elderly may not seem like the fodder that film dreams are made of, but framing this with the construct of a capitalist cult infuses a sinister uniqueness into the story.  The sheer vastness of parties involved in the hustle, including judges, elderly care, medical professionals, realtors and even fences is mind-blowing, but wholly believable based on the reality that news media presents us with on a daily basis.  The evil element comes in the form of legislative logistics and red tape in a manner that truly illustrates how the pen is mightier than the sword in some cases.  A bit of the King Midas element is sprinkled on top of everything, which leads Marla Grayson right down a self-sustained path towards destruction simply because she doesn’t know when enough is enough, or when a threat is a legitimate one rather than a hurdle.

Having a film absent of good guys that isn’t centered around cars, guns or war is a positive stroke, as it tosses out the need for justification of actions while setting up the viewer for an absence of expectations.  This absence of expectations creates some of the freshest tension I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing, as the lack of scruples across the board makes any action (and subsequent reaction) fair game.  The chess of human lives escalates rapidly as the story unfolds, quickly moving from threats of manipulative force into the realm where human lives are the cost of bad business.  The direct connections made between the traditional criminal underworld and the paper-pushing criminal eradicate any fraction of right in the “right and wrong” debate that often arises when attempts to justify crimes are made.

The general dark nature of the film is offset by a multitude of production aspects that radiate, giving the story a sense of energy and momentum.  For starters, the overall warm color timing and film grain look, along with a 1970’s style title card, give the film an exploitation look and feel that makes it hard to pinpoint the time in which the story takes place.  The style choices, mainly hair and wardrobe, further the vagueness of the setting, while also standing as a statement on how the bad guys are sometimes hard to pinpoint strictly off looks.  All of this warmness is offset by the heavily synthesizer-driven score, which builds tension and unease even when the score is high tempo.  The cinematography is kinetic without being overly flashy, and in tandem with the aforementioned warmness, creates a visual unease that is as slippery as the main players in the game.

Rosamund Pike gets to flex the tough guy role in a way that many women are not given the opportunity to do in film, and she navigates those waters with all the aplomb of a seasoned veteran and cunning shark.  Eiza González stands firm as a sidekick, making up for an absence of toughness with the blind devotion of a ride or die partner.  Dianne Wiest is interestingly layered, seeming like a sweet old lady at first, but quickly revealing that she is as dangerous and cognizant as the elements that satellite her.  Peter Dinklage exudes the frustration of a man with extreme power up against a foe that should be easily defeatable, and yet, persists well past extreme means.  Chris Messina steps in with slick talk that seems effective, but is no match for Pike’s energy that fills her Marla characterization.  Nicholas Logan displays a lackey driven by parallel fears of failure and punishment to the point where he becomes an extension of Roman Lunyov’s rage.  Appearances by Macon Blair, Isaiah Whitlock Jr., Damian Young, Alicia Witt, Georgia Lyman and a handful of others help bring the mad world of I Care a Lot to life.

I don’t want to declare Netflix as having found the formula just quite yet, but in the spirit of giving credit where credit’s due, I Care a Lot must be praised for both its entertainment and production value.  Films such as this one will certainly help eradicate the discussion of quality that arises when the Netflix association to a film comes up, and honestly, that’s how it should be anyway… a film should be appraised by what it is, not by who delivers it to you.  If you care a lot (pun intended) for modern cinema, then set a couple of hours aside for I Care a Lot.

[doomonfilm]

Review : Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

From the outside looking in, it seems as if HBOMax’s decision to air first run films on their streaming service concurrently with limited theatrical releases is doing great.  With The Little Things, Judas and the Black Messiah and Tom & Jerry all having seen their time in the sun, the next in line was the highly anticipated Godzilla vs. Kong.  With a built in cult following for both parties involved in the titular roles of the film, not to mention a trio of previous films that set up everything leading to this encounter, it really and truly feels like it’s up to Godzilla vs. Kong to mess things up for itself.  That being said, I set aside my current task of covering all of the Oscar nominees for one night and diverted my attention to the latest film to join HBOMax’s exclusive club.

On a pure spectacle level, it’s wonderfully epic seeing the likes of Kong and Godzilla butt heads, especially given that each current iteration is groundbreaking in their own right in terms of visual execution.  At the risk of venturing into spoiler territory, I will simply state that a handful of other monsters from both Kong and Godzilla’s cinematic universes show up, making the interplay between Kong, Godzilla and whichever monster inserts themselves into the mix feel like watching golden age wrestling.  The film doesn’t weigh itself down with heavy, complicated plot points or motivations… at the simplest level, one group of scientists is hoping Kong will lead them to a power source in Hollow Earth, while a cybernetics company is hoping to alter the power dynamic of Alpha Titans by luring Godzilla into a trap.  With each respective monster having its own set of “motivations”, it makes it that much more delightful when their paths suddenly cross and epic violence erupts.

As for the human element, the aforementioned plot constructs for each monster give just enough room for drama, narrative tension, cross-motivations and even the rare tender moment.  Providing a wide range of scientific disciplines serves as a surrogate for having a diaspora of characters, as the general public is left mostly out of the film other than the occasional reaction shot of crowds running for their lives.  Basically, we are given a pair of base-level suspense plots that, combined with the main event of monster versus monster, allow for a shared narrative support system, and with a bit of creative mixing, the stories are made relative to one another so that it doesn’t feel like we are watching three different movies.  Other than a few key moments, the humans are mostly left to human affairs, while the stars of the show are allowed to get their epic monster on, especially once all of the narratives get a bit of steam going behind them.

It could likely go without saying, but the special effects and character generation for this film are beyond breathtaking, as the way that Kong and Godzilla occupy space is truly intimidating (when it’s not outright terrifying).  The sound design is also larger than life, which it needs to be in order to match the overwhelming amounts of energy and raw tension coming off of the screen.  The score is heavy on the traditional side, but it matches every emotional and action-filled beat it needs to in order to sell the tone it needs to at any given moment.  The execution of the HEAV ships that travel to Hollow Earth is striking, with every aspect you can think of standing out (interior and exterior design, flight effects, thruster effects and so on).  The numerous locales are used to great effect with every world or space having a distinctly vivid and immersive feel to them.

Bryan Tyree Henry is wonderfully paranoid while still managing to be cool and calculated in both his choices and perception of others.  Rebeca Hall stands determined and focused in her attempts to understand Kong, while displaying a maternal love for Kong and Jia.  Speaking of Jia, Kaylee Hottle does some extremely nuanced work in a wordless performance, standing as the clear heart and soul of the film.  Alexander Skarsgård masks a loose cannon tendency with faux confidence that is fueled by blind dedication to his mission.  Millie Bobby Brown brings a youthful energy and bold curiosity to the table, along with a need for closure in regard to the loss she mentions on occasion.  Eiza González uses an all-business attitude along with a deeply perceptive nature, and while kind, she is stern in her statements and actions.  Julian Dennison brings much needed levity to the table, and his natural chemistry with Bryan Tyree Henry allows Henry the chance to play a bit straighter and in more of a lead capacity.  Appearances by Shun Oguri, Lance Reddick, Kyle Chandler, a wonderfully villainous Demián Bichir, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Ronny Chieng, John Pirruccello, Chris Chalk and more fill out the cast.

Confession time : I have not seen the previous three films in this franchise.  I’ve had every intention to, and if not for my current deep dive into the Oscars and the closing of my John Carpenter ranking list, I would have done so.  With that in mind, I can honestly state that this film is incredibly enjoyable, even if you aren’t up to speed with the previous three films.  I imagine going back to watch those films with the knowledge gained from Godzilla vs. Kong will make for an interesting experience, and will likely enhance my eventual revisitation of this film.